Define Another Partner
by Selim
Summary: Some questions can be left unanswered, but some lead to problems. If your loved one were to die, would you get another? When Dee died, that was the last question he had ever asked Ryo.


Define "Another" Partner

By: Araki

Disclaimer: I do not own FAKE.

Spoilers: None. This is another viewpoint later tales of Dee and Ryo.

Summary: Some questions can be left unanswered, but some lead to problems. If your loved one were to die, would you get another? When Dee died, that was the last question he had ever asked Ryo.

Dee x Ryo

* * *

Life was never dull in New York, not with the gang fights and the drug deals that went bad. Sometimes, Ryo wished he had never rolled out of bed – hell, out of Dee's tight embrace – on days like that, but there he was, in his partner's beat down car, on their way to the crime seen to investigate.

It had been explained to the two that an hour before, a drug dealer name Joe Monroe had opened fire on a buyer due to a false deal. Both NY detectives had to go and check on the crime scene, being that it wasn't the first (and likely the last) that Joe's name would be there.

Soft eighties rock filled the small car as Dee pulled to a stop light, tapping his finger against the steering wheel of the car to the beat of the song. Ryo smiled as he leaned his head back against the seat, rubbing his stiff neck muscles. Fatigue was still in his system, but it wasn't uncommon with the two lovers since they had gotten together.

The song Dee was humming came out into words, flowing from his lips like silk, making Ryo turn to face him. It wasn't that Dee was actually singing, no matter how off beat and embarrassing it was, but it was the words to the song. Ryo could feel depression capture his body, making him stare at the ground before staring up at the buildings surrounding him.

Dee smiled passionately at Ryo as the words echoed through the car, reaching deaf ears as Ryo reached out, holding onto Dee's hand. It was just their past, what little they had left as oncoming traffic made Dee stop leaning on his elbows, with a smug smile as he continued to sing his song in front of his one man audience. Ryo held on tightly as he laid his head back once more, grinning smugly.

Bringing his voice out to touch the bridge of the song, Dee snorted as Ryo started giggling as he watched his lover's unneeded try. "Don't quit your day job, Dee." He grinned.

"Aw." Dee gave a playful frown. "It wasn't that horrible." He turned down the radio as the DJ started talking once more through the final beat of the song, going down the road once more. "Why don't you sing the next song, Ryo?" He turned up the music, grinning as Ryo shook his head swiftly.

"No. I am not all that good, and I won't try." He stared at the buildings once more. "Just shut off the music, Dee…it's all depressing today." Ryo leaned his head on the window, absently counting the white lines upon the road.

Doing as asked, Dee frowned lightly as he stopped, again. Traffic was horrible that day, didn't help a funeral was in session, his eyes staring at the hearse then the line of following cars. Licking his lips, he stared at Ryo as he leaned back. "Hey, Ryo. We're in pretty dangerous works; I know we've been through a lot. One of the things we are aware is we may not survive this work without wounds. If I were to die, would you date someone else? I mean, another man…" Dee's voice fell distant as he started down the road again. "If so, how long after my death would you? I'm just curious."

"Don't think like that, Dee." Ryo whispered, never meeting the green eyes that stared into his soul. "You're too stubborn to die…"

Dee sighed, staring at the road. "Would you date another man?" He asked again. "There is always the chance, and I only want you happy after death. No grudges, no remorse." He gave a grim smile. "I could never date again, if I were to have you gone. It'd be too much, because I'm yours, and nobody else." He stared down. "Remember that, Ryo." He smiled.

The Japanese-American never stared at his partner as he stared out the window, unsure of what to say. He couldn't promise Dee something that would be happen in the future, didn't want to curse their good luck. He smiled as he felt lips against his hand. "Stop that, Dee," Ryo hissed, "keep your damn eyes on the road."

Grinning, Dee turned the wheel, before jerking the whole car back on track, a laugh escaping his lips as Ryo screamed. The blonde calmed down as Dee paid attention to his driving, staring through the windshield with a smile. "It's the next turn." Ryo whispered, ignoring Dee all together.

Pulling into the crime scene, Dee shut off the engine, staring tiredly at the long forgotten warehouse. "Ever notice how these are always in warehouses."

"Not always, but a great deal of the time. Better than where pedestrians are." Ryo unbuckled, accepting a loving kiss from Dee before they started work. Dee smiled; bringing a blush to Ryo's face before getting out of the car, knowing his part-Japanese friend would soon follow.

Stepping near the dark haired detective, Ryo stared around. "Let's start looking." He whispered. The two started towards the warehouse opening, few detectives from the precinct still combed the area. Dee glanced towards the distance, at where the unlucky merchant had been caught, knowing it was never good. "I'll be right back, Ryo." Dee smiled, touching Ryo's hand to reassure the blonde of his promise.

Dee scrunched his eyes as he stepped up on a latter, climbing up to the next floor, his eyes scanning the area. Inside, he felt as though they were being watched. It was difficult to believe, but the feeling did not desert him as he turned to enter a room.

Towering windows brought light into the room; one of the windows had been shattered, most likely in the shuffle to leave the building before the cruisers hit the scene. Dee climbed up on the crates, cautiously sticking his head through the window to stare around. Pulling out of the warehouse, Dee stood on his legs, taking in the soft breeze that was already falling upon the large city.

He jerked, hiding behind boxes as voices reached his ears. They weren't, by all means, any that he had heard. They sounded, worried. Falling to the ground, he pulled his gun out of its holster, cocking it to ready and fire when he knew what he was facing.

"Old Joe ditched us, man." One voice growled out, breathing deeply. "Didn't think those detectives were stupid enough not to check the roof.

Another voice laughed at that, low so no one could hear anywhere near. "They can't tell the window in that room was broken in escape unless they were looking for it. It looks still there, technically." Dee shifted as he heard weight being pressed against the boxes he hid behind. "Still can't believe how fast they gotz here. Saw another car, rather normal at that, pull in just a few minutes ago. Blonde was rather cute, if I say so myself."

The first guy rolled his eyes as the other men shuffled away from the second guy. "Look, we're okay about yer sexuality, don't mean you should flair it."

"I just wanna take that one for a test run…" The second one chuckled as the other groaned, covering their ears.

_That's my Ryo_. Dee growled as he listened to the men spoke about his lover, his eyes falling upon the sound of a few cruisers leaving the scene. Not much they could find, unless they were looking closely.

Grasping his walkie-talkie, Dee breathed deeply as he started to whisper in it, making sure the returning volume was low so no one else could hear. "Ryo, they're on the roof. Joe got away, but about five of his men are up here. Over."

"_Wha'?_" Ryo seemed at loss of words. Dee had to admit, what was probably going through his lover's head was stupid. These men were stupid. Who stayed at a crime scene while they were being searched, most likely with illegal drugs on them? "_Dee, don't get caught, reinforcement will be there soon. Over._" Dee smiled smugly, hushed his walkie-talkie, listening again to their talking.

The men were arguing, about needing to escape. Rage was there, in their voices, adding to the cursing they had thrown at the other. The man by the boxes was being pissed as he could, cursing the very Joe that had left them. He tossed his arms in the air, knocking the many boxes over – Dee's heart stopped as he stared up to meet the five sets of eyes, holding his gun out, aware of what small chance he had on getting out alive if they, too, were armed.

"It's one of those detectives, Terry." The first one said, pulling out his gun and glared down at Dee. The dark haired detective stepped back, watching the other men do the same as the first. He might have been dumb, but he knew when he was out numbered and out of lock. _Ryo, where are you…_

Terry, the second voice, snorted, leaning his head back. "He came with the sexy blonde." He mumbled. "Can't let the others know we're here."

They all smiled, cocking their guns, and Dee quickly shot his first bullet as four times as many came back towards him, he let out one scream before darkness overtook him.

* * *

Ryo ran as quickly as he could, calling reinforcements as he heard several shots in the distance. His heart stopped, fully aware that they had come from the top of the building – where Dee was. _Damn it, I told him not to get caught_. Ryo wanted to blame Dee, but his worry caught up with him as he ran up stairs, glaring around to find where Dee had gone off.

An open door brought him into a well, sun-lit, done room. The many windows shined with a great mixture of light, meaning noon had come, and Ryo stared at a missing window, one where light came unevenly through. Climbing up the crates, the blonde glanced around, his head first up as his face lost its color.

Dee laid on the ground, unmoving, four men stood above him, one down as well – likely shot by Dee. Cocking his gun, he fired quickly, nailed one before jumping off the boxes and quickly took refuge just outside the door. He could hear the commotion going on up on the roof, his eyes staring gently as he heard weight upon the many crates inside the room before landing upon the ground.

Cocking his gun again, he took another shot, hitting one more. He didn't care. Dee was hurt above them, he had to go and make sure his partner was okay. Running down the stairs, Ryo noticed the three men shooting his retreating form. Return fire done by remaining officers brought own attackers down, one after another. As the coast was clear, Ryo stopped and ran past their bodies and was once more on the roof of the warehouse.

His black eyes stared around, stopping on the still unmoved body of his partner. Running towards Dee, Ryo fell to his knees, pulling the detective on his lap, eyes filled up with tears at the number of wounds on Dee's body. Turning to the men that had followed him up, he demanded an ambulance.

Deep down, he knew Dee was long gone, but it didn't stop him from trying to get his lover's heart to beat again. Tears fell freely down his cheeks as he covered his partner's nose to breath down Dee's bleeding mouth pushing air in Dee's lungs, then pressed to get air to move through the man's lungs. Nothing he did was working; his breathing was shaken as he was pulled away, not to stare at his deceased partner again.

* * *

_If I were to die, would you date someone else? I mean, another man… If so, how long after my death would you? I'm just curious. _

Dee's words shook Ryo's world as he clumsily opened the door to his apartment, dropping his coat upon the floor in hopes to reach the coat hanger. His nearly dead legs moved slowly through the house, carelessly shutting the door while walking towards his room. Tears fell down his face, leaving a trail towards the room.

Five shots. All at once, and Dee was gone.

Falling upon his bed, Ryo pulled up the pillow that had been used the night before by Dee to his nose, breathing it in before crying himself to sleep.

* * *

"Ryo, I'm hungry!" Bikky's voice rang through the house, and Ryo groaned. He waited, half-heartedly, to hear Dee yell for his lover's adopted son to make his own food, but it never came.

Opening his eyes, Ryo let out a soft cry, cuddling closer to the pillow clutched his arms. He wanted it all to be a horrible dream, where he would wake up, and everything would be back the way it was before. Dee yelling at the '_house ape'_ to feed himself like a civilized being – and Bikky, irritated and grouchy, scream back about Dee being a pervert and to keep his hands off Ryo.

It never came. The dead silence – save for Bikky beating on the door and screaming at a nonexistent Dee – was all that met Ryo's ears. Taking a deep breath, Ryo ran his hand over the pillow again before staring out the window. The door flew open, Bikky finally worked open the lock as he shoved his head in the room and growled at the nonexistent Dee.

His voice fell silent as he met air. Ryo curled up, clutching a pillow to his chest, eyes clouded over with tears. "Are you okay, Ryo?" Bikky whispered, walking towards the blonde as Ryo refraining from meeting his eyes. "Where's Dee?" He finally asked, watching as tears made their way down Ryo's face with the name.

"He…won't be coming back over, Bikky chan." Ryo whispered.

"He broke up with you? That's why you're crying, isn't it Ryo?" Bikky growled, straightening his back out from the position he had leaned over in. "I might've hated the big perverted, but that doesn't give him permission to break your heart like this!" He started towards the door, only to stop at Ryo's voice, calling to him.

"Don't bother, Bikky. He won't be there. I told you, he's not coming b-back." Ryo covered his face, never meeting the gaze placed upon him. "We were called to a crime scene today, and we all thought the grounds were clear. We were wrong, and Dee paid the price. He's not coming back."

Falling to his knees, Bikky stared at the man, running his hand through his hair. "I don't know what to say, Ryo."

"He asked me, Bikky, before he died, if I would ever date another man after him. I didn't answer, I couldn't answer in fear of choosing the wrong one, and deep down I couldn't decide. It won't be my fault if I fall in love again, but I know I'm still tied to him. It would have been all right, if we hadn't been dating around the time of his death, but we were, I'd feel as though I would be cheating on him." Ryo turned to face the wall. "I don't want to cheat on him."

Bikky's eyes never met Ryo's as he carefully walked over to the father figure in his life, pulling the man close to him as he met Ryo's gaze. "It's your choice, if you do or not. 'Shouldn't be held down by this."

"He wouldn't have. I need to be fair and not do so."

Shaking his head, Bikky, held tightly on to Ryo, his heart clamping shut with the little faith Ryo was bringing out with each words, before carefully choosing whatever he had to say to calm the man. "Look. I'm sure Dee would be happy with what choice you make, 'cause you're happy. Don't hold yourself down to one person, 'cause you gave them your heart…or you'll never open up. I love my father…but I love you just like I would my father."

Ryo's eyes opened as he felt a smile tug on his lips as he held onto Bikky tightly. "Thanks for answering the nagging filling in my head, Bikky." He sat up. "Go 'fend for yourself. I'll be back sometime, I have tomorrow off, and Thursday's the funeral. I-I can get over this…" He watched carefully as Bikky, cautiously, left the room. When the door shut, the dam broke, and Ryo cried himself to sleep once more.

_No. I could never date another, not another partner, not another man. Never another woman. I will wait for you Dee; I only wanted to be held by you forever…_


End file.
